A Reputation That Counts Architect Nils Schweizer Devoted To His Work And His Community

March 31, 1986|By Adam Yeomans of The Sentinel Staff

Orlando architect Nils Schweizer took the podium during the East Lake County Chamber of Commerce's first banquet last month to explain his plans for 17 acres he owns in the rural community of Sorrento.

He apologized to the crowd for not being able to speak louder. He started to discuss his retail mall and residential condominium project, and then veered into a subject of a very personal nature.

Schweizer, 60, said he learned he had lung cancer in November 1984. His first reaction was to sell the land, he told the crowd, because he was given just a 2 percent chance of living another six months.

Today, the tumor appears to have receded, he said. Instead of selling the land, he said, he now wants to set a precedent for the commercial development headed toward Sorrento and Mount Plymouth on State Road 46.

''We realize we're early,'' he told the crowd in a hushed voice, which has been damaged by the disease. He added that any project ''with my name on it will be something of value.''

A former student of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Schweizer's impact on Central Florida during the past three decades can be seen almost anywhere. Professional associates and friends call him the dean of Orlando architecture.

In 1960, Schweizer and his brother, Mark, formed Schweizer and Associates, an internationally known firm that helped design the Orlando International Airport, Loch Haven Art Center, the new public library in Orlando and more than 40 churches including Calvary Assembly of God.

Schweizer spent eight years learning from and working with Frank Lloyd Wright. Schweizer came to Orlando from Lakeland in 1956 as Wright's Southeastern U.S. representative while overseeing the design of much of the campus at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.

Many architectural firms in Central Florida have been formed by designers who started with Schweizer, according to Lowell Lotspeich, who worked with Schweizer for about eight years during the 1970s.

But Schweizer's reputation goes beyond blueprints and artists' renderings. He has devoted many hours to volunteer work with prisoners, cultural and arts organizations, churches and Florida Hospital. He said he now spends more time on volunteer work than when he worked full time as an architect.

''He's an amazing guy,'' said Jerry Chicone, a longtime citrus grower who has worked with Schweizer on upgrading downtown Orlando. ''He never has a problem going in and doing something. He's not a prima donna.''

A year ago, Schweizer decided to retire from the architectural firm because of his illness. He underwent six weeks of radiation treatment and followed a strict diet and exercise program. The cancer, he said, went into remission about six months ago.

Schweizer said he visits his physician every six months for checkups. Although Schweizer said his physician ''thinks the cancer may be lurking behind my scars,'' he does not dwell on the possibility. ''I still need to be very careful.''

It isn't the first time illness has threatened to cut short Schweizer's career. In 1973, he was hospitalized for a stroke. Doctors also removed a malignant tumor from his abdomen.

After that, Schweizer lost weight, quit smoking and became more interested in people than buildings, said Beverly Schweizer, his wife of 32 years.

Schweizer said he now concentrates on a diet of vegetables and fish and a regular exercise routine. ''What I've learned with a regime of diet and exercise, the body stands a greater chance of healing itself.''

Tom Kohler, executive director of the Orlando Community Redevelopment Agency and the Downtown Development Board, said he has noticed Schweizer go through some major changes before the cancer diagnosis. Kohler first met Schweizer 12 years ago.

''He has become a completely different man,'' Kohler said. ''He's not doing things at the expense of his health. He seems at peace with himself now.''

His volunteer and civic activities are numerous, to say the least. Schweizer heads a national, non-denominational prison ministry called Kairos. He serves as chairman of the Florida Hospital Foundation, a position he will leave April 9, and coordinates projects such as the hospital's proposed Lifestyle Improvement Center, a short-term treatment center for obesity, smoking, hypertension and diabetes.

Upgrading downtown Orlando remains a priority with Schweizer. His work in the 1970s with the Downtown Development Board set the foundation for Orlando's Streetscape program, Kohler said.

Schweizer currently is serving as a consultant for the Parramore Avenue charette, an architectural term for getting it together in a given amount of time. The charette started about two months ago when the Florida chapter of the American Institute of Architects agreed to help improve the neighborhood. During the charette's first meeting in February, Schweizer was introduced as the father of Orlando architecture, said Wayne Grant, who operates Grant Furniture Co. on Parramore along with his brothers.